Paradigm-shifting paradoxes

“The only certainty is that nothing is certain.” – Pliny the Elder

This is another paradox worth recognising in order to thrive! It’s the third in our blog series on paradigm-shifting paradoxes, and we hope you’re relating to it as much as our team has.

Although this has always been true, we can all relate more than ever right now to life’s uncertainty. The world as we knew it has been turned upside down. It has become a challenge for many to survive day to day, let alone to thrive.

As we navigate our way in this pandemic, we face the uncertainty of not knowing when and indeed if it will end. Will we survive it? Will our loved one’s survive it? What will life look like – on the other side? Not only is our health at stake, but our finances too, and the very fabric of our society. 

We are all affected in some way or another by the impact on our freedom, divisiveness in views and a prevailing sense of impending danger. It’s as if we’re stuck in some crazy, veritable computer game.

How do we move forward and embrace this uncertainty?

Psychologist, Dr. Rebecca Sinclair, is one of many to address this concern. She warns that “If you are constantly aware and preparing for uncertainty and potential bad events, and thus are constantly in fight-or-flight mode, you build up a chronic stress pattern and make yourself more prone to fear and anxiety.” 

Advice from Elizabeth White, TED Speaker and author of the book 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal is not to fast-forward “and run the tape of doom and get sucked into that hole. Don’t try to make sense of things too soon.” That leaves room for new possibilities, she says.

This is important as, “Acceptance is an active, empowered state in which you are grounded in the present,” says psychologist, Dr. Gertrude Lyons. “We are not denying the situation and we are not indulging in the emotions of it. Acceptance of the pandemic and social isolation for an unknown period of time as my current reality allows me to ascertain the options available to me more effectively.”

In the words of Mark Twain, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” 

We need to remember to focus on what we can control – and the stories we tell ourselves are a big part of this. Anxiety doesn’t serve us; it hampers our decision-making ability and overall well being. Change has always been inevitable. 

We at WellsFaber are with you on this journey. We are here to advise and help you thrive – with certainty—every step of the way.